Donald Verne Crabb

1914 - 2008  (94 years)

• Name	Donald Verne Crabb  [1]
  Birth	05 Oct 1914	Tensed, Benewah County, Idaho   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Reference Number	3137
  Death	19 Dec 2008	Clarkston, Asotin County, Washington   [2]
  Person ID	I3137	11 July 2023
  Last Modified	19 Oct 2019

  
  

  Father	John Arthur Crabb,   b. Jan 1891
  Mother	Leona Josina Thomas
  Marriage	23 Jul 1909	Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho   [3]
  	Marriage ID: 118439 Groom's Surname Name: CRABB Groom's First Name: John A. Bride's Surname Name: THOMAS Bride's First Name: Leona H. Place: Coeur D' Alene Marriage Date: 23 Jul 1909 County: Kootenai State: Idaho Bride's Residence: Groom's Residence: Volume: 5 Page: 334 Partial Date: Comment:
  Family ID	F1421	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Audrey Pearl Brown,   b. 10 Oct 1922, Cottonwood, Idaho County, Idaho d. 16 Sep 2019, Lewiston, Nez Perce County, Idaho (Age 96 years)
  Marriage	16 Jul 1960	Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho   [1]
  Children	1. Living
  Family ID	F1419	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	11 Jul 2023

  
  

  Family 2	Midred Opal Blain
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Family ID	F1420	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	11 Jul 2023

  
  

• Notes

  Donald V. Crabb, 94, Lewiston Sunday, December 28, 2008 Donald Verne Crabb, age 94, passed away Friday, Dec. 19, 2008, at Tri-State Memorial Hospital in Clarkston. For the past five years he had been a resident at the Orchards Rehabilitation and Care Center. He was born Oct. 5, 1914, on a farm located in rural Benewah County, between Tensed, Idaho, and Tekoa, Wash. He was preceded in death by his mother, Leona Josinah Thomas Crabb, his beloved father, John Arthur Crabb, sister Jessie Crabb Hershey, age 98, and brother Ross Crabb, age 96. His grandparents were pioneers who farmed in the St. John, Wash., area. Don liked to tell the story about his grandmother Jerusiamanda Watts Crabb crossing the Snake River at Lyons Ferry with teams of horses only after being told to wait for her husband, John Crabb. Don also enjoyed retelling early stories of an Indian man named Louie Sam who would yell at him across the fields "Heyyyyy Keeeeed You ... GATE!" Another story was of his family traveling down the Old Lewiston Grade in horse and buggy. He and his brother Ross would sled down the hills where the Coeur d'Alene Indians invited them to share in a feast. Don and Ross also explored the nearby country and mining areas. Dancing became one of Don's favorite pastimes. He learned to dance as a young boy at neighborhood farm-house dance parties. At one point, he won a prize in a square dancing group. After high school, Don married Micki Blair in Tekoa, and they lived in Garden Springs, Wash., with their two daughters, Mercedes and Sharon. Don went to work for Montgomery Ward's in the hardlines department, assembling wood heating stoves; he became a valuable employee and was promoted to supervisor and transferred to Pullman and then finally Walla Walla. During World War II, he became an expeditor, obtaining extremely hard-to-find materials for the military at Spokane's Fairchild Air Force Base. After the war he went to work as manager at the Western Auto store located in the Tri-Cities. In 1948, his family moved to Clarkston, where he worked in the plumbing department at C.C. Anderson's in Lewiston. Later he transferred to Boise to work at the company headquarters. This position required him to purchase box cars of plumbing fixtures to be disbursed throughout all C.C. Anderson's locations in Idaho and Utah. The plumbing department was phased out when C.C. Anderson's merged with the Bon Marche. Don then joined Western Homes of Portland, Ore., selling component homes. At this time Don, a master plumber, made the decision to start his own plumbing and heating business, known as Home Utilities, which later evolved into Western Components, specializing in remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. In 1991, Don's son Kelly joined him in running the family business. Don married Audrey Brown in 1960. Don loved to hunt pheasant with his cocker spaniel, "Laddie." He bagged many a deer and elk and once shot a prized moose in the Orogrande area. Don, his wife Audrey and son Kelly spent many enjoyable weekends camping and fishing in the wilderness areas of Idaho, Washington and Montana. He traveled to Alaska and the Oregon Coast to fish and visit his grandson, Greg Egle, and to enjoy the scenery. Don was known around Lewiston and Clarkston as a master plumber and a jovial conversationalist who told any who asked, "I'm cantankerous, obnoxious, irritable, downright ornery, and besides that I'm Crabby!" Don enjoyed working and socializing as a member of the Orchards Kiwanis Club, Elks, Eagles and the Moose lodges. Don is survived by his devoted wife of 45 years, Audrey Brown Crabb, and their son Kelly Crabb, his wife, Teresa and granddaughter Rachael Crabb, who all reside in Lewiston. He is also survived by his two daughters and their husbands, Mercedes and Gary Bolger and Sharon and Conrad Barth, of California. Surviving grandchildren and their wives are Greg and Shelly Egle of Kodiak, Alaska, Kent and Lisa McMurray of Torrance, Calif., and deceased grandson Scott McMurray and his wife Sandy. Surviving great-granddaughters include Morgan McMurray, Shayla McMurray and Lindsay Walk of California and Amelia Egle of Alaska. Don is also survived by his dear friend and brother-in-law, Bob Brown of Lapwai. There will be a memorial celebration for family and friends at a later date. Condolences for the family may be submitted to Malcom's Brower-Wann Funeral Home in Lewiston by e-mail to malcoms@microwavedsl.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity or food bank of your choice. HAPPY FISHING, CRABBY!!! Rachael Crabb, age 8 wrote to her grandmother, Audrey: He still loves you Even though he passed away I know it's so hard When the day is gone To say, "Goodbye." http://www.lmtribune.com/archived-obit/Obituaries/380170/

  
  

• Sources

  [S127] Sheila Barnes, Brown, Edgar Tracy FGS, (22 Jun 2002). [S633] Lewiston Tribune, (28 Dec 2008). [S631] Western States Marriage Records, (Name: BYU - Special Collections;), Listed as Marriage ID: 118439. Groom: John A Crabb; Bride Leona H. Thomas. Marriage ID: 118439 Groom's Surname Name: CRABB Groom's First Name: John A. Bride's Surname Name: THOMAS Bride's First Name: Leona H. Place: Coeur D' Alene Marriage Date: 23 Jul 1909 County: Kootenai State: Idaho Bride's Residence: Groom's Residence: Volume: 5 Page: 334 Partial Date: Comment: